A Khajiit in a Nord's Land
by PixilatedSarin
Summary: Kri'dav woke up bouncing in the back of an Imperial wagon, riding towards death. All hope seems lost, all lives are at risk, and everything rests on one Khajiit's shoulders. He may be sentenced to death, but the gods have another plan for this son of Elsweyr. My first story, I hope you like it. Rated T for violence and mild language. Criticism is always appreciated in any form.
1. Chapter 1

Confusion. This was what he felt as he awoken, bouncing this way and that, in the back of an Imperial wagon. Reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes, the Khajiit notices the bindings on his wrists.

"What in the Two Moons?" He questioned. His sudden dialogue prompted a voice to pipe up across from him.

"Finally awake, eh, cat?" A rugged looking, straw headed Nord remarked. "You were trying to cross the border when you got caught up in the ambush. Same as us and that horse-thief over there," he nodded over to the man to his left, "Some luck."

"Who are you, Nord?" Asked the Khajiit, still somewhat vexed from the cat comment.

"Name's Ralof. I'm from Riverwood. How about you, Khajiit?"

"This one's name is Kri'dav. Of Elsweyr."

It was then Kri'dav noticed the finely dressed, burly Nord next to him. The Nord turned, glared at the Khajiit and a muffled grunt emanated from behind his gag.

"What's wrong with him, huh?" inquired the man to Ralof's left.

"Watch your tongue, thief! That is Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, true High King of Skyrim!" Ralof barked, his clear respect for the gagged man was not lost on Kri'dav.

"Ulfric Stormcloak?! But if they've captured you-oh gods where are they taking us?!" said the man, the fear evident in his voice.

"I don't know where we are headed, but Sovngarde awaits." Ralof muttered, defeated.

"This one thinks that he and the horse-thief will be let go. Due process and all that." Kri'dav joked.

"You obviously have never dealt with the Legion, cat. They will cut your head from your body and leave to you rot in the gutter, all while asking the Thalmor if they've done well, like a child asks his father." Ralof spat out, venom dripping from every word. Kri'dav stared wide eyed at the sudden outburst and returned to silence, thinking it best.

The rest of the ride was silent until they came to the gate of a small township. As they rounded the bend in the road, Kri'dav noticed an important looking Imperial mounted on a horse, accompanied by an Altmer in extravagant looking black robes.

"Look at him! General Tullius, the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this." Ralof narrowed his eyes at the pair and continued to watch them as the wagon rounded another bend. As Kri'dav saw all of the towers and soldiers, he was slowly giving up hope for a successful escape attempt.

The wagon jolted to a sudden stop, throwing Kri'dav from his musings and reminding him of his current predicament.

"Alright everybody out!" shouted a Legion Captain, "End of the line!"

One by one, they stood up and filed out of the wagon. A Legionnaire with a parchment and quill strolled up and announced to the prisoners, "Come forward as I call your name and then proceed to the headsman... Ulfric Stormcloak," the gagged man furrowed his brow and walked up to the younger Legionnaire, practically a head taller. The Legionnaire looked Ulfric in the eyes and calmly said, "To the block, traitor." Kri'dav saw the man as either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid. Nevertheless, Ulfric squared his shoulders, turned, and walked to his fellow Nords in bondage.

"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric." Ralof bowed his head reverently at the man as he walked by.

"Continue on Hadvar," ordered the Legion Captain, "We have places to be."

"Yes ma'am...Lokir of Rorikstead!" called Hadvar. The man next to Kri'dav jolted.

"No, please! You don't understand! I'm not a rebel!" Lokir cried out, turning the attention of the Captain.

"Rebel or not, you go to the block." She spat from gritted teeth.

"Ma'am, don't you think we should-"

"Shut up Hadvar! I am your commanding officer. My word is law. If I say he gets a shave from the headsman, then he's going to get the damn shave." At this Lokir snapped.

"No! You're not going to kill me!" The man, clawing desperately at his bonds, pushed through the Legion soldiers and started racing down the cobblestone road.

"Archers!" shouted the Captain. At this command, an archer knocked an arrow, took aim, and let it fly. The arrow whistled through the air and found its mark in the back of the runner. Lokir crumpled to the ground, the arrow protruding through his chest. As Lokir gurgled his last breath, Hadvar turned back to Kri'dav.

"You there! Khajiit! Step forward." Seeing what happens when a prisoner runs, Kri'dav saw no other option than to obey the order.

"You don't seem to be on the list. Who are you?" Hadvar questioned.

"This one's name is Kri'dav. Kri'dav must explain this uh…unfortunate misunderstanding. You see, this one was simply trying to gain passage into Skyrim. He did not mean to get mixed up with these vagabonds and rebels. This one is simply a Khajiit seeking a home." Kri'dav hoped this would help convince Hadvar, as he felt that Hadvar was a good and honest man.

"Captain, what should we do? He seems to be telling the truth and he isn't on the list. Should we let him go?"

"Have your travels taught you nothing, Hadvar? You can't trust these cat-folk. Thieves and Skooma addicts, every one. Damn the list, he goes to the block." Kri'dav couldn't believe his ears. Would this woman actually execute him simply on his race? He narrowed his eyes and flattened his ears against his head, and looked to Hadvar for help but Hadvar had his eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry, Kri'dav, but I don't have a choice. I'll make sure your remains are returned to Elsweyr. Now follow the Captain, nice and slow." Hadvar voiced, his eyes not meeting Kri'dav's. Kri'dav fell into a shocked silence, not knowing what to do or what to say, desperately raking his mind for something that could help him but there was nothing. He was blank. He didn't even realize the priestess had been talking until he heard the Stormcloak interrupt her.

"Come on, now. I haven't got all morning." muttered the man as he walked up to the chopping block.

"As you wish" replied the priestess, perturbed by his outburst. The Stormcloak knelt down and put his neck onto the bloodstained wooden block. Looking up into the hooded executioner's eyes, he said something Kri'dav won't soon forget.

"My ancestors are smiling down on me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"

And with that the executioner hefted the axe over his head and let it drop. Kri'dav looked away just before the axe made contact but he still heard the wet squelch and the thump of the body going limp. He was still averting his gaze when the Imperial Captain called him.

"You there, cat! To the block!" she barked. At that moment Kri'dav heard an unearthly sound. It was like the groaning of a distant tree, breaking in the wind, but amplified a thousand times.

"What was that?" asked Hadvar, his eyebrows furrowing together in concern.

"I said. Next. Prisoner." the Captain ordered. Kri'dav decided then that he would not die whimpering in fear, but rather with a dignified silence. He stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and walked to the executioner, eyeing the body of the brave, or foolish, Stormcloak who died before him. Kri'dav kneeled down, outstretched his neck, and turned his head to the executioner.

"Try not to miss, pet of the Thalmor." Kri' dav then spat on the boots of the executioner, as one last show of defiance before meeting the gods. The executioner gripped the axe tightly as he readied his swing. At that moment, Kri'dav saw a creature swoop down from the mountains. The creature was the embodiment of nightmares and death, with scales black as night, glowing eyes of the deepest red, a giant gaping maw, filled with teeth the size of sabers, and devilish horns adorning its horse sized head. Its wings blotted out the sun and all hope of survival. And he was heading towards the town.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" Bellowed General Tullius. The beast swooped down with un-godly speed and landed on the watchtower above Kri'dav, sending rubble and dust on the prisoners below, hitting the executioner, causing him to drop his axe. Kri'dav rolled off of the block to avoid the falling weapon and in the process hit his temple on a rock embedded in the ground. Dazed, Kri'dav heard a voice to his right.

"Come on, cat! The gods won't give us a second chance!" Ralof shouted over the commotion. Kri'dav shook away the double vision and followed the Nord into a nearby watchtower, dodging flaming rocks raining from the sky. The Khajiit slammed the door behind him and bent over to catch his breath.

"Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked between pants.

"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric replied with a foreboding tone. The group all looked up when a roar shook the tower, causing Ralof to take action.

"We need to move, now!" Ralof motioned to Kri'dav to follow him up the stairs where another Stormcloak was trying to move parts of the crumbled roof. Kri'dav moved to help him when Ralof grabbed the scruff of Kri'dav's tunic and held him back as the monstrous beast bashed its head through the side of the watchtower, hitting the Stormcloak with the bricks from the broken wall, killing him. Kri'dav and Ralof shielded their eyes as the nightmare spouted flames from its mouth, torching the dead Stormcloak beyond recognition, then flew away to sow more destruction. Ralof approached the hole created by the monster and looked down.

"See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going. I'll meet back with you on the other side." Ralof said, gripping Kri'dav by the shoulders.

"Are you crazy?!" Kri'dav shouted, "If this one doesn't impale himself on the wood, he will surely break his legs on landing!"

"Kri'dav, trust me. Talos guide you." Ralof assured the Khajiit, patting him on the shoulder. Kri'dav noticed this as the first time Ralof had actually used his name and decided that he would trust in the Nord.

"Hopefully we will meet again, Ralof. We are brothers in binds." Kri'dav grinned, backed up, and ran to the opening. With his hands still bound, the Khajiit sailed through the air towards the broken roof of the inn. He shielded his face with his arms as he landed on the hard wood, rolling with the momentum and crashing into a table. As he got up, Kri'dav felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. He looked over and saw his arm hanging limply, dislocated from his shoulder. He grimaced with pain but kept moving, determined not to die. He came to the edge of the top level, and with no stairs in sight, jumped down to the first floor, further injuring his arm. Feeling the adrenaline start to kick in, Kri'dav continued through the ruined wall of the inn and saw Hadvar taking cover behind a mound of wood.

"Kri'dav! Still alive? Stick with me if you want to stay that way!" Hadvar shouted. Kri'dav moved to join him when he noticed a boy in the street, kneeling down next to a man curled up on the ground. The Khajiit then saw the great beast flying towards the injured man. Kri'dav raced to the boy to get him away from the monster. He grabbed the boy around the middle with his good arm and was running back to Hadvar when the creature landed next to the man in the street, stumbling Kri'dav and causing him to drop the child. The Khajiit shielded the boy from the heat with his body as the monster immolated the child's father. The beast shot into the sky afterwords and Kri'dav grabbed the boy and carried him back to Hadvar.

"Hadvar!" Kri'dav shouted, getting the soldier's attention, "What should this one do with the child?"

"Leave him with Gunnar," Hadvar motioned to the older man taking shelter with him, "Come with me. I need to find General Tullius and join the defense." Hadvar unsheathed his sword and jogged to a gap between a burning house and a wall.

"Stick close to the wall!" Hadvar called behind him. At that moment the beast landed on the wall, its jagged black wings almost hitting the two. Kri'dav looked up at the underside of the monster's neck, covered in armored scales. The beast sucked in breath, filling its chest, and breathed it out as pure flame, burning indiscriminately. After the beast took off, Hadvar and Kri'dav continued through the flaming town, viewing archers fire arrows at the beast in vain. General Tullius spotted the two and shouted orders to Hadvar.

"Into the keep Hadvar, we're leaving!" Tullius continued to aid the soldiers around him as Hadvar headed to the door to the keep with Kri'dav tailing. It was then Ralof came from another entrance to the keep, spotting the pair.

"Ralof, you damned traitor! Outta my way!" Hadvar growled, flashing his sword.

"We're escaping, Hadvar! You're not stopping us this time!" Ralof replied with equal viciousness.

"Fine. I hope that beast takes you all to Sovngarde. Come on, Kri'dav. We need to get out of here." Hadvar looked to Kri'dav but hesitated when he saw the look in the Khajiit's eyes.

"This one is sorry, Hadvar, but the deer doesn't join the wolf. This one is leaving with Ralof." Kri'dav ran to the Stormcloak but turned when he heard Hadvar yell.

"Damn you, cat! Damn you both to Oblivion!" Hadvar spat on the ground in front of Kri'dav and turned to enter the keep.

"C'mon, Kri'dav. Let's go before Hadvar gets his wish." Ralof jogged to the door of the keep and went through, Kri'dav behind him, not knowing what was going to meet him on the inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

As Kri'dav closed the door behind him, he heard a muttering on the far side of the room. Turning, he saw Ralof kneeling down beside a dead Stormcloak.

"What are you doing, Ralof? He's gone." Kri'dav said hesitantly. Ralof finished his prayer and turned to Kri'dav.

"It is ancient Nord tradition to give last rites to a kinsman so he can join Shor in Sovngarde. I don't expect you to understand." Ralof explained. Looking at Kri'dav, he noticed the Khajiit's injured shoulder and beckoned him over.  
"Here, sit down," Ralof pulled the chair over from a table in the corner, "Let's see if we can get your bindings off first before I check your wound.." Ralof pulled a dagger from his belt and sawed through the rope on Kri'dav's hands. Kri'dav rubbed his sore wrists before a shooting pain reminded him of the current state of his arm.

"This is going to hurt, Kri'dav. This is going to hurt a lot." Ralof warned before grabbing the wrist of Kri'dav's injured arm and lifting in slowly until it was perpendicular to the Khajiit's body.

"That wasn't so ba- GODS ABOVE!" Kri'dav yelled as soon as Ralof pulled on the arm. Grimacing, Kri'dav turned his head to glare at Ralof. Ralof gazed back with a sorry look in his eyes.

"That was just the first part. I still have to pop it back into socket." Ralof then jammed Kri'dav's arm straight into his shoulder, making an audible pop sound. Kri'dav cursed and bit the collar of his tunic to stop himself from screaming like a child.

"Are you done yet?" Kri'dav muttered through his makeshift gag.

"Yeah but it's going to be sore until we find some healing potions. Speaking of which, we should probably keep moving. I don't to be here if that dragon brings the whole keep on top of us."

"Dragon?" Questioned Kri'dav.

"I'll tell you about it later. You need to get a weapon and armor. No telling what we'll meet down here." Ralof gestured to the fallen Stormcloak. "Here. Take Gunjar's cuirass and his axe. He won't be needing them anymore." Feeling a tad bit guilty, Kri'dav stripped the Stormcloak and put the blue cuirass on, as well as the fur boots. Aside from being a bit too big, they fit fine. He took the axe out of the ring on his belt and tested the weight.  
"You know how to use that thing?" Inquired Ralof with a raised eyebrow.

"To be honest with you, no. This one is not one for fighting." Kri'dav said, eyeing the axe.

"I'm sorry about this, Kri'dav, but chances are, you're going to have to kill before we get out of here." As if on cue, there was the clanking of armor down the hall to their right. Ralof grabbed Kri'dav by the sleeve and crouched next to the doorway.

"Imperials. Two of them by the sound of it. I'll take the one with the armor, you take the other one." Ralof readied his axe but Kri'dav had a better idea. Feeling the magicka well up inside of him, Kri'dav summoned an electric spell in his right hand. He opened the door a crack, charged the spell, took aim, and shot it at the Imperials coming down the hallway. It hit the one in metal armor square in the chest, knocking her down, before jumping to the one in leather and sending him down with his comrade. They both convulsed for a few seconds before lying still.

"Did you kill them?!" Ralof questioned with wide eyes.

"What? No! They are just unconscious. This one told you he wasn't good at fighting so he avoided the fight altogether." Kri'dav said matter-of-factly. Ralof stared back before chuckling to himself.

"I didn't expect you to be a mage." Ralof said, still chuckling.

"This one is not professionally trained, he has only picked up a few things from the places he has traveled." Kri'dav explained, "We should probably get out of here before they wake up."

Ralof turned to the door on the opposite end of the room and pulled on the handle. The door stayed shut. Kicking the door in frustration, Ralof turned to Kri'dav.

"You learn lockpicking from all the places you've traveled?" Ralof questioned.

"Unfortunately, no. Not all Khajiits are thieves you know." Kri' dav joked.

"Maybe one of those Imperials has a key." Ralof suggested. Kri'dav approached the fallen Imperials and, being careful not to wake them, rifled through the pockets of the one in the metal armor. Finding what he was looking for, Kri'dav backed away and closed the door. Kri'dav gave the key to Ralof and, after getting the door unlocked, followed him down a stone staircase. After turning a corner, Kri'dav saw another group in the distance. He was about to see who they were before a great trembling in the earth stopped him. Ralof and Kri'dav both stumbled backwards as the ceiling caved in in front of them, blocking off the hallway except for a small side-door.

"Shor's bones! That dragon is going to bring the keep down!" Ralof exclaimed, picking himself up before offering Kri'dav his hand. Kri'dav accepted it and dusted off the cuirass.

"We need to keep moving before we end up under the rubble instead of beside it." Kri'dav opened the door and went through before seeing two Imperials. Unfortunately, the Imperials saw him too.

"Get the cat!" One of the Imperials shouted. Before Kri'dav could even move, the Imperials had advanced on him. Ralof intercepted one of the Imperials and engaged him in combat. The other Imperial reached him and swung his sword. Kri'dav dodged backwards, summoned a Lighting spell, and shot it at the Imperial. After convulsing a bit, the enemy soldier fell flat on his face. It would have been comedic, had the smell of blood not reached Kri'dav's nose at that very moment. Looking over, Kri'dav saw Ralof gripping his bloody arm, standing over a dead Imperial.

"Gods, Ralof, are you okay?" Kri'dav questioned, concerned.  
"Yeah, I'm good. Bastard just nicked me." Ralof grimaced. Kri'dav summoned a healing spell and went over to Ralof. The Khajiit brought a chair over and sat Ralof in it. Kri'dav grabbed a rag off of a nearby barrel and washed the blood off, revealing a massive cut.

"A nick, you said?! This is a serious wound, Ralof." Kri'dav put his hand with the spell over the cut and watched the muscle and skin sew itself together.  
"I'm never going to get used to that sight." Ralof muttered, "I think this is a storeroom. Look through the barrels for anything useful. I'm going to rest here for a second." Kri'dav stepped over the dead body to search the barrels for potions. After finding a few, he uncorked two healing potions, handed one to Ralof, and downed the other. With both of them feeling much better, they set off again to find their way out of the maze-like keep. After passing through more hallways and rooms, Ralof and Kri'dav heard the clashing of swords. With both of them geared up for a fight, they charged into the room. The two of them saw two Imperials facing off against one Stormcloak. Ralof immediately set off to fight the biggest Imperial while Kri'dav helped the other Stormcloak take care of the smaller one. Kri'dav shot a spell at the Imperial, stunning him while the fellow Stormcloak dealt the finishing blow. Looking over, Kri'dav saw Ralof having a bit of trouble with the bigger Imperial. Kri'dav summoned a fire spell and set fire to the boots of the Imperial, causing him to look down. Taking this opportunity, Ralof turned his axe to the hammer side and swung it upwards, catching the Imperial on the chin and knocking him out.

"He's going to wake up with one hell of a headache." Kri'dav joked. Ralof just chuckled and looked around the room for more supplies. After finding a cell with a dead mage inside, Kri'dav went to work on the lock.

"I thought you said you weren't good at lockpicking." Ralof quipped. Kri'dav ignored him and summoned a frost spell. After coating the lock with ice, Kri'dav looked over at the other Stormcloak in the room with them.

"Could you please hit the lock? It would be most appreciated." Kri'dav inquired. Shrugging, the Stormcloak picked his warhammer up and swung it at the lock, cracking it open. After thanking the Stormcloak, Kri'dav opened the cell door and looted the mage. After donning the mage's attire, which fit much better, Kri'dav turned to Ralof.

"You look like a damned College student." Ralof chuckled and shook his head.

"Well this 'College student' has saved your life twice now, so this one would keep quiet if he were you." Kri'dav shot back. Ralof looked over to the other Stormcloak in the room with them and started talking to him.

"We should keep going, brother, you should come with us." Ralof offered.

"I'm going to stay here a while. I'll guide others who come through. Don't worry about me. Talos guide you" The Stormcloak waved them on. After walking for a while, the sudden smell of blood hit Kri'dav.

"Hold on, Ralof. Something isn't right here." Kri'dav said, grabbing Ralof's collar. Ralof unsheathed his axe and Kri'dav summoned Flames in one hand and Sparks in the other. Rounding a corner, a ghastly sight met them. Dead Stormcloaks and Imperials filled the room, some still bleeding. Kri'dav and Ralof crept through the room, ready for anything. The stench was horrid, the only thing worse was the image of the dead men and women, haunting Kri'dav, even when he closed his eyes. It was a blessing when they finally left the bloodbath of a room by crossing a wooden bridge to another section of the keep.

"In all my years, that has to be one of the worst things I've ever seen." Ralof shuddered and sheathed his axe. Kri'dav replied by sicking up in the corner. After the two of them had gotten their wits about them they kept moving. They kept walking for what felt like ages before coming to a room filled with webs. Kri'dav summoned Flames in both hands and got ready for a fight, with Ralof readying his axe. At that moment, a dozen Frostbite Spiders dropped from the ceiling. With Ralof taking the biggest ones and Kri'dav blasting through the ankle biters, they took care of them quickly. After downing another healing potion each, the pair moved on, determined to get out of this hell. The walking was getting monotonous at this point and as they were about to sit down for a break, a roaring caught their attention. They spotted a bear at the far side of the cavern. Ralof muttered a curse and shook his head.

"Really? A damn bear? I really don't want to deal with her now. Let's just sneak past." Ralof said as he crouched down.

"Wait. This one has a better idea." Kri'dav summoned Sparks in both hands and got ready to shoot it at the bear. Right when he was about to release the spell, Ralof grabbed his arm.

"Don't you dare, Kri'dav. That'll just piss her off." Ralof warned. Kri'dav sheathed the spells and followed Ralof's lead. The both of them snuck past the bear and continued on.

"Wait a minute. Is that light? Thank the gods, I think that's the way out!" Ralof shouted. They both sprinted to the exit, grateful to see the light after hours in a cavern. Ralof was excited to get out into the open, Kri'dav was wary. The adventure was just starting, and the Khajiit was not liking it so far.


End file.
